Valve lifter



R. G. MILLER VALVE LIFTER Dec. 4, 1951 Filed May 12, 194'? INVENTOR.

neg Q MY/er ATTD RN EYE Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE VALVE LIFTER Roy G. Miller, Tacoma, Wash.

Application May 12, 1947, Serial No. 747,477

6 Claims. 29-221) This invention relates to a valve lifter'for valves ofinternal combustion engines. I This application is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 671,605,filed May 22, 1946, now abandoned.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve lifter whichis adjustable to give added leverage to the same and so as to better fitthe lifter to the particular valve arrangement and engine being workedupon.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a valve lifterwhich is of simple construction, durable in use and efficient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view of the lifter applied to a valve spring and in a lockedcondition to retain the spring in the raised position allowing freedomof the hands to remove the spring lock plate on the valve stem.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the lifter as viewed on line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the ad iustable pivot block forthe foot.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the foot adapted to be connected to theengine block.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the pivot block connected tothe foot.

Referring now to the figures, It] represents an engine block with anopening H in the. side thereof through which access is had to a valvel2.

This valve has a stem and on this stem there is connected a spring I3.On lifting the spring l3 a spring retainer or locking element which isheld in the groove l 4 on the stem can be removed whereby to release thevalve and permit its withdrawal from the top of the engine block.

To efiect this result I have provided a valve lifter l5 which can beinserted through the opening H and adaptedto raise and retain the springIS in a compressed condition. This lifter comprises an arm or upperhandle I 6 which is pivoted as indicated at IT to an arm or lower handlel8. Both of these arms have handle portions l9 adapted to be broughttogether when the lifting or spring-compressing operation is effected.Extending upwardly from the arm H} are extensions 2| locatedrespectively at opposite sides of the arm l6 and curved to better adaptthe same for insertion through the opening I l.. Each of theseextensions has a spring SL631??? thereon including an upwardly extendingpore tion 23. These extensions are held in transversely spacedrelationship by an adjusting screw'24. By turning the adjusting screwthe valve lifter can be adapted to different width springs. The arm Ithas a laterally extending pin 23' .over which the extensions 2! areextended. The lower edges of the extensions have notches 25 adapted toreceive the transversely extending pin 23'. Spring means 21 fixed to thearm It as indicated at 28 bears against the ex-.- tensions 2! to retainthem over the transversely extending pivot pin 23'- These extensions 21can accordingly be advanced or retracted to better condition them forapplication with the spring [3. The rear ends of the extension 2| haveelongated slots 28' through which a retain Vine pin 29 in the arm l8extends. "I

To anchor the tool to the engine block, there is provided a foot memberor support 3| adapted to extend vertically across the opening II. Thisfoot member has a bifurcated portion 32 on its lower end and has aplurality of holes 33 into which a pivot block, Fig. 3, as indicated at34 may be extended and secured by a cotter pin 35. The pivot block canbe disposed on the foot 31 at difierent elevations depending upon thetype of engine being worked upon. On opposite sides of the pivot block34 there are connected links 3'! having elongated slots 38 at their rearends through which extends a pin 39 for connecting the same to the arm16. On these links 31 is a spring 4| which reacts between the links andthe foot'Sl for maintaining the same pivoted against an adjustable stop42 in the forward end of the arm It. An internally threaded projection43 is provided on the arms l6 for the purpose of centralizing springseat 22 with valve stem [2.

In order to retain the handle portions after they have been drawntogether, there is provided on the handle portion of the arm IS a linkor pivotally mounted ratchet arm 45 pivotally connected as indicated at46 to the handle 19, On the handle of the arm 18 is a spring catch 41adapted to engage with ratchet portions 48; thereon. This catch or pawl41 has a handle 49 which can be used to disengage the catch 41 from theratchet links 45.

The notches 25 on the underside of the arm l6 permit adjustment of thebifurcated portion 32 so as to be squarely under the spring which it isto lift. However, there are but five of these notches, which will notpermit the desired amount of adjustment. Further adjustment of thebifurcated portion 32 can be obtained by use of the threaded projection43, the general function being similar to that which might be found intuning a radio where some station may be punched in and then a truertune-in obtained by the use of an auxiliary permitting a finergraduation of adjustment.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve lifting tool, the combination which comprises a pair ofspaced parallel bars having oppositely positioned flanged segments, onthe outer ends providing a valve spring gripping jaw with the saidsegments providing spring seats, said parallel bars having elongatedslots in their outer ends, a thumb screw extended through the barsspaced from the segments for adjustably holding the jaws in spacedrelation, said bars having arcuate intermediate sections therein withspaced notches in the under edges of the said intermediate sections, anupper handle positioned with the inner end thereof between the saidparallel bars and having a pin extended through the inner end andpositioned with the ends thereof extended for engagement with thenotches of the said parallel bars, said upper handle having a thumbscrew threaded in the inner end thereof and extended between the saidparallel bars, links having slots in the outer ends positioned beyondthe sides of the parallel bars, a pin carried by the inner ends of thelinks, said upper handle having studs on the sides thereof extendedthrough the slots of the links and having a lug extended from the undersurface and positioned midway of the length thereof, a lower handlehaving a lug on the upper surface and positioned with the inner endthereof pivotally mounted on the pin carried by the inner ends of thelinks, said lower handle having a pin therethrough with ends of the pinextending at the sides and positioned in the slots in the ends of theparallel bars, a pin pivotally connecting the said upper and lowerhandles through the lugs thereon, ratchet links pivotally mounted on theupper handle and depending therefrom, a spring catch pivotally mountedon the lower handle and positioned to coact with the ratchet links forretaining the handles in adjusted positions, a vertically disposedsupport having a foot on the lower end extended between the saidparallel bars and positioned to coact with the thumb screw in the innerend of the upper handle to adjust the position of the spring seats inrelation to a spring to be held thereby, and means adjustably mountingthe said pin carried by the links on the said support.

2. A valve lifter adapted to be inserted through an opening in the blockof an engine, said valve lifter comprising upper and lower lever armspivotally interengaged intermediate their ends, link membersinterconnecting the lever arms and slidably engaging the same, one ofthe link members projecting outwardly a spaced distance from the upperlever arm and having thereon means for engaging a valve spring, and asupport member pivotally connected to the forward terminal portion ofthe lower lever arm and engageable with the lower edge of the opening inthe engine block, the support member having thereon a stem portionadapted to span the opening and to bear against the block adjacent theupper end of the opening, thereby positioning the spring engaging meansprecisely with respect to the valve spring, the link members and theirconnections with the lever arms providing movement in parallel planes ofthe spring engaging means and support memher.

3. A valve lifter adapted to be inserted through an opening in the blockof an engine, the valve lifter comprising upper and lower lever arms.means for pivotally interengaging the lever arms intermediate theirends, link members interconnecting the lever arms and slidably engagingthe same, one of the link members projecting outwardly a spaced distancefrom the upper lever arm and having thereon means for engaging a valvespring, a support member engageable with the engine block, the linkmembers and their connections .with the lever arms providing movement inparallel planes of the spring engaging means and the support member, thesupport member having thereon a perforated stem portion adapted to spanthe opening and to bear against the block adjacent the upper end of theopening, a pivot block adapted to be inserted in a selected one of theperforations on the stem portion of the support member, and means forpivotally connecting the pivot block to the lower lever arm.

4; A'valve lifter adapted to be inserted through an opening in the blockof an engine, said valve lifter comprising upper and lower lever arms,pivot means for pivotally interconnecting the lever arms intermediatetheir ends, link members interconnecting the lever arms and slidablyengaging the same, one of the link membersprojecting outwardly a spaceddistance from the upper lever arm and having thereon means for engaginga valve spring, a support member pivotally connected to the forwardterminal portion of the lower lever arm and engageable with the engineblock, the support member having thereon a stem portion adapted to spanthe opening and to bear against the block adjacent the upper end of theopening, the link members and their connections with the lever armsproviding movement in parallel planes of the spring engaging means andthe support member, and screw means mounted on the upper lever arm andbearing against the stem portion of the support member for positioningthe spring engaging means a selected but variable distance forwardlywith respect to the upper lever arm.

5. A valve lifter adapted to be inserted through an opening in the blockof an engine, the valve lifter comprising an upper lever arm bifurcatedat its upper terminal portion, a lower lever arm, pivot means forpivotally interconnecting the lever arms intermediate their ends, linkmembers interconnecting the lever arms and slidably engaging the same,one of the link members projecting outwardly a spaced distance from theupper lever arm and having thereon means for engaging a valve spring, asupport member pivotally connected to the forward terminal portion ofthe lower lever arm and engageable with the lower edge of the opening inthe engine block, the support member having thereon a stem portionadapted to span the opening, the link members andtheir connections withthe lever arms providing movement in parallel planesof the springengaging means and support member, a transverse bar extending across thebifurcated portion of the upper lever arm, and a screw threaded into thetransverse bar and adapted to contact the stem of the support bar forpositioning the spring engaging means a selected distance forwardly withrespect to the upper lever arm.

6. A valve litter adapted to be inserted through an opening in the blockof an engine, said valve lifter comprising upper and lower lever arms,pivot means for pivotally interconnecting the lever arms intermediatetheir ends, link members interconencting the lever arms and slidablyengaging'the same, one of the link members projecting outwardly a spaceddistance from the upper lever arm and having thereon means for engagingavalve spring, a support member piv- 10 otally connected to the'forwardterminal portion of the lower lever arm and engageable with the loweredge of the opening in the engine block, the support member havingthereon a stem portion adapted to span the opening and to bear againstthe block adjacent the upper end of the opening, the link members andtheir connections with the lever arms providing movement in parallelplanes of the spring engaging means and the support member, screw meansmounted on the upper lever arm and bearing against the stem portion ofthe support member for positioning the spring engaging means a selectedbut variable distance forwardly with respect to the upper lever arm, andresilient means mounted on the lower lever arm and bearing against thesupport member for maintaining the stem of the same normall: contactingthe screw means.

ROY G. MIHJLER.

7 REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,299,496 Melrose Apr. 8, 19191,322,433 Harsley Nov. 18, 1919 1,352,407 Guinand Sept. 7, 19201,718,841 Touchette June 25, 1929 1,815,980 Kulp et al July 28, 19311,890,466 Lemmerman Dec. 13, 1932 2,064,264 Kulp Dec. 15, 1936 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 210,588 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1924 236,722Great Britain July 16, 1925 271,289

Great Britain May 26, 1927

